Naruto: The Death Flash
by RinneTaicho
Summary: A flash of white. A flash of pain. A flash of Death. That's all his enemies see before their end. The son of the Fourth Hokage, and grandson of the Second, Naruto has a big legacy to live up to. With his Dead Bone Pulse and his friends at his side, he's ready to take the world by storm. But unknown foes wait in the shadows. Can he rise above them to achieve his dream? NarutoxHarem.
1. Prologue

**Naruto: The Death Flash**

 **AN/ Hey yo, so here we are, the very first chapter of my new story Naruto: The Death Flash. This story features a Naruto, who is the grandson of Tobirama, and possesses the Dead Bone Pulse. As far as pairings go, one of them is a Fem-Shikamaru. And yes, I said one. All in all, there is going to be three, maybe four women with Naruto, however, they won't all be getting with him at once, and I've taken the time to plan things out and make sure that I build a realistic romance for each, and why they would all agree to be with him.**

 **Now, with that said, the arcs for this story will be fairly original. I think there's only really one that will be cannon.**

 **Well, that's all for now.**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context: _'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: ' _What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 ** _Prologue:_**

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

The sharp scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils, reminding him of where he was. Light from outside bounced off the white-painted walls of the room. In that moment—sitting by that hospital bed—he felt every one of his sixty-eight years. On the bed lay a boy with shaggy blond hair and fair skin with three triangular red whisker marks on each cheek. It was remarkable how much the boy looked like his father and grandfather, his successor and predecessor respectively.

Hiruzen was a short man, and the third leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, known as the Hokage. His face was lined with wrinkles and his hair and goatee were thinning and white. He wore the traditional red and white robes of the Hokage with the peculiar four-pointed hat perched atop his head.

When he'd heard that Naruto was in the hospital, Hiruzen's heart had momentarily seized in his chest. For one terrible moment he had wondered if one of the villagers had attacked him for being the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. That was quickly dispelled by the Anbu that informed him of it, though. Apparently Naruto had been found unconscious in one of the training grounds, with several bones sticking out of his arm. Bones that shouldn't have been there.

By the time he'd gotten there the doctors had been able to force the bones to retract back into Naruto's arm, and his tattered and sweaty training clothes had been removed in favor of a clean white medical gown.

Hiruzen let loose a world weary sigh and placed a hand over his eyes. _Of all the things that I thought might happen to him, this wasn't one of them. To think the Dead Bone Pulse of the Kaguya would awaken in Naruto._ What were the odds he'd awaken the bloodline of his grandmother's clan? She had been an immigrant to their village, and hadn't even possessed the skill herself. Hiruzen felt sorry for the boy, having this complication heaped onto him. He already had so many. Naruto's parents had died the very night he was born, fighting to stop the Nine-Tailed Fox that had attacked their village. They had managed it eventually, but only by sealing it within Naruto. That tragic night had left Naruto an orphan in a village that resented him for the beast he held.

As a close friend of the family he had taken it upon himself to look after Naruto. Ever since that night, he had done all he could to make sure he had as normal a life as possible. Hiruzen had even gone as far as to have hidden Naruto's heritage from even the boy, so his father's enemies wouldn't try to lash out at him. Minato Namikaze was a powerful shinobi, and they wouldn't have hesitated to harm a child even if all it did was harm the villages moral. That wasn't even considering the fact he was also the grandson of another Hokage.

Of course, all that was rendered moot now. It would be nearly impossible to keep people from him now. Quite frankly, the Dead Bone Pulse was far more appealing to many than simply being the descendant of two Hokage.

There were other things to consider. Like what would Naruto's reaction be when he woke up? He'd want answers, and Hiruzen doubted he'd put up with the usual deflection.

 _Perhaps this is fate telling me it's time to reveal the truth._ It wasn't just a matter of Naruto questioning where his bloodline came from. There would also be the issue of training it so he didn't hurt himself or others, as well as extra protection when people _did_ learn of the bloodline. So many things to consider. Hiruzen wasn't sure how long he sat there wrestling with his decision. However long it was, he was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Naruto had awoken until he heard a squeaky voice, laden with grogginess, speak up.

"Gramps? What's going on?" Naruto asked in confusion. Hiruzen's eye's snapped to him in an instant. The boy had pushed himself up and was looking around himself in confusion. "The last thing I remember was . . . MY ARM!" Panic filled Naruto's eyes, and he quickly looked at his arm, which by now was back to normal.

"What the-? Was it a dream?"

Hiruzen sighed deeply. This was going to be a long explanation. "No Naruto, it wasn't. You were found unconscious in one of the training grounds with bones sticking from your arm," He held up a hand to stop Naruto from interrupting. "Now it's nothing to be concerned about. It just means you're a rather special individual."

"Special?" Naruto's head tilted to the side in childish confusion.

"Yes, special." Hiruzen said with a nod. "You've awakened a rather rare kekkei genkai—bloodline limit—called the Dead Bone Pulse. With it you can control your entire skeletal structure. It's only seen in a rare few members of the Kaguya Clan from the Land of Water," He explained. By now they would've covered bloodlines in the Academy, so luckily he wouldn't have to explain THAT.

The explanation only seemed to confuse the boy more. "Kaguya Clan?" He said. His voice was filled with confusion. "But my last name's Uzumaki, I'm not a Kaguya." You could almost hear the gears turning in Naruto's head. "If it only a Kaguya can get it, that means my mom must have been one!" His eyes brightened with excitement. That sheer excitement at learning something about one of his parents—even if it _was_ incorrect—tugged at Hiruzen's heartstrings. For the first time he was confronted with the knowledge that in hiding the knowledge of who exactly his parents were, he hadn't taken into consideration how it felt for Naruto not knowing who his parents were.

He licked his suddenly dry lips. This was the moment of truth. Continue his lies or reveal the truth. In the end there was only one choice. "I'm afraid that's not quite right. Naruto. Your mother was a member of the Uzumaki Clan, Kushina Uzumaki. It's your father who you get the Kaguya blood from. His mother was a Kaguya."

"Wh-what? But I thought you said you didn't know anything about my parents." Naruto said, hurt and betrayal in his eyes. He could see the beginning of tears.

It was understandable. He couldn't count the number of times Naruto had asked him about his parents. All he knew was that he lied every time. He tried not to show his own hurt when Naruto pulled away when he tried to reach out to him.

"I lied," He said simply. "I'm not going to sit here and give you excuses, but I will tell you the reason I felt it was necessary. It all started nearly fifty years ago, when my sensei—the former Second Hokage Tobirama Senju—met a woman from the Kaguya Clan who had defected from the Hidden Mist named Kimiko . . ."

Hiruzen began to tell Naruto the story of his family's history. A story he had kept secret for over thirty years. He himself had been twenty-two at the time, and in his fourth year as Hokage. His sensei had retired after he was severely injured in a mission where he had stayed back to take on the Hidden Clouds Kinkaku Forces. Tobirama was fifty, and Kimiko forty. Ten years later, Minato had been born. Tragically, Kimiko had died due to complications with the birth.

He could remember vividly how much his sensei had changed afterwards. By then Tobirama's health was failing him. With the pressure of raising a son he didn't know for certain he could take care of, and the fact that the Senju Clan had declined to three members at the time (four if you counted Minato), he had made an agonizing decision. To preserve the Senju Clan and his son's life; Tobirama had given Minato up and placed him in an orphanage. Not long after Tobirama died. To this day Hiruzen wasn't certain it wasn't a broken heart that had killed his sensei.

Only he and Mito had known Minato was Tobirama's son, and she took the secret to her grave. After Minato met Kushina, it had looked as if what remained of his sensei's family might have managed to build a happy life. Then history repeated itself.

". . . after that your mother and father gave their lives to seal the Nine-Tails inside of you. I hid your birth to protect you from your father's enemies. And _that_ , is the story of your family Naruto."

Naruto didn't seem to know how to react. His face was uncharacteristically blank. At one point he thought he'd seen tears in the boy's eyes.

It was several moments before either of them spoke. "I . . . I don't know how I feel." Naruto said numbly.

Hiruzen nodded in understanding. He placed a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder, and was glad when he didn't pull away this time.

"I understand. This is a lot to take in. I'll leave you in peace so you can process it. Just know I'll need to talk to you once you're discharged from the hospital. There are things that need to be discussed now that you've awakened the Dead Bone Pulse." Hiruzen told him.

With his piece said, Hiruzen stood and left the hospital room. Outside the little room the regular bustle and hustle of the hospital was going on as usual. Nurses and doctors milled back and forth with supplies and patients, creating a constant cacophony of noise. In spite of all his experience, he too found himself exhausted by the day's events. He was keenly aware of the mental exhaustion that made thinking about anything deeply feel as if his thoughts were drenched in molasses because of how slow they were.

There was still so much to do, too. He would have to consider how he wanted to approach the revelation of Naruto's bloodline. It would need to be trained, there was no question about that. Such an ability could be a danger to himself and others if Naruto didn't learn to control it. Then there was the matter of how he would increase the protection for Naruto. Either way you sliced it the situation was complex.

As he left the hospital that day Hiruzen was absolutely sure of only one thing; this day would stand out for years to come.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

 **AN/ So there's the prologue. It is obviously really short, but that couldn't really be helped. Hope you liked this appetizer for the new story, tell me what you think of it, and make sure to tune in next week where we'll meet Naruto's teammates and sensei. Will they be cannon, or something different? Only I know, mwahahaha! You'll have to keep reading to find out.**

 **Next Time: Assignments, a New Team is Formed!**

 **So, til Next Time,**

 **RinneTaicho Signing Off!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Naruto: The Death Flash**

 **AN/ Hello, and welcome to the first chapter of Naruto: The Death Flash. In this chapter we'll see Naruto get assigned to and meet his team. And let's just say, they're a bit of an oddball group.**

 **Well, not much else to say for now.**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context: _'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: ' _What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Arc I: The Formation**

 **Chapter 1: Assignments, a New Team is Formed!**

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

Room 3A was a room just like any other you would find in the academy. From the wooden benches and desks that made up its tiered rows, worn from years of use, to the teacher's podium at the front, where the instructor would lecture students from. Even the bank of windows along the wall was normal. Yes, it was a truly unremarkable room. And yet, as he entered classroom 3A that day, and took a whiff of the familiar scent of paper and metal that permeated the air, Naruto couldn't help but feel that the room was completely unique.

Not even a week had gone by since he'd graduated at the top of his class, and now he was entering this room for potentially the last time.

There was a certain sense of melancholy about it. He had many fond memories of this room, and his time in the academy. From lunches spent with his best friend Shikako, to lazy spring days when the sun drifting through the window and warm the air, causing him to get sleepy.

Though there wasn't much time to waste reminiscing. His alarm didn't go off, and he knew he was late, though hopefully not by too much. He quickly began looking for a seat in the already crowded classroom.

Naruto was a boy with angular facial features, and shaggy blond hair. In the years since the accident that had changed his life, he'd also grown to be tall, towering over most of his classmates. From an outside perspective, his clothing was odd. The plain black shinobi pants and old fashioned shinobi sandals was normal enough, but his wide-open blue kimono top was considered odd for a ninja, since it didn't offer much protection by exposing most of his chest and stomach. Not that he cared, he had learned long ago that it was easier to simply shrug out of the kimono shirt than have to buy new ones all the time.

"Naruto, up here." A lazy and familiar voice called out. Naruto looked up excitedly, and caught sight of a girl sitting at one of the desks in the middle row. She had dark eyes, and black hair that was pulled into a spiky ponytail.

He didn't waste any time bounding up the steps and taking a seat next to her. "Morning Shikako, how's it going?" He asked. Shikako shrugged.

"Not much, just waiting for Iruka-sensei's speech to start, we've actually been waiting on you," She replied, motioning to their teacher, who was looking at him in annoyance.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry, about that, feel free to start at any time."

Iruka's lip twitched slightly in amusement. "Yes, well, thanks for your endorsement." The man cleared his throat, and began to speak to the entire class. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin,

"First of all, I want to congratulate you all on graduating," Said Iruka. Iruka was an average but kind man. His skin was deeply tan and he had a scar across the bridge of his nose with brown hair pulled up into a spiky ponytail. He wore the traditional Hidden Leaf uniform; a long-sleeved black shirt and matching pants with a green flak-jacket. "You've all worked hard to hone your skills, but your journey has just begun. Right now you're just Genin, low level ninja. To help you expand your skills and further your training, we'll be dividing you into teams of three, and assigning a Jonin to guide you in your training moving forward."

A restless murmur of surprised exclamations filled the hair. It was almost like a group of snakes hissing all at once. Beside him, Shikako shifted in annoyance. "Tch, I don't get what the big deal is,"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's words. Shikako was his oldest friend. They had met when they were ten, when she had come across him training. She was a laidback girl, and she liked it when things were calm. That was why she always got annoyed when people made more problems than were necessary.

"Seriously, don't tell me any of them thought that they'd let ninja fresh out of the Academy take any kind of missions alone?" She said.

He shrugged in response. "I don't know, I can think of at least a few people who would probably prefer to work on their own," He said, motioning over to where Sasuke Uchiha was sitting; his signature scowl in place. He was a withdrawn person with dark hair and eyes, and he wore a blue shirt with his clan's crest on the back.

Naruto's relationship with Sasuke was weird. For as long as he could remember they'd been competing for the spot top in their class. That combined with the fact their clans had been rivals for centuries made things pretty tense at times. Despite the fact they didn't hate each other, they were more acquaintances than friends.

Shikako giggled slightly. "I guess you have a point."

It was rather obvious that Iruka had done this before, because he paid the interruptions no mind and continued with his announcement. From the podium, he picked up a clipboard.

"We've structured the teams so they would have a balance of talents and ability. Now, I'll announce the squads, starting with Team 1 . . ."

To Naruto, it seemed like it took forever for his name to be called. He listened as names were called one by one and new teams formed. Sasuke ended up being put on a team with Sakura Haruno and a boy named Shin. Sakura was a smart girl with vivid pink hair the color of the petals of the flower she was named for. Although highly intelligent, her physical skills weren't so good. Shin, meanwhile, was a bit of an enigma. He was a pleasant boy who was easy to get along with, but his white hair as well as the fact he was older than most tended to make him a bit of an outcast. From what Naruto understood he had been sick as a child and ended up being held back a couple years.

Despite his annoyance at the fact it was taking so long for his name to be called, he took comfort in the fact that with each team that was announced that didn't include him or Shikako, the chances of them being on the same team increased.

". . . Team 10 will include Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikako Nara. Your Jonin-sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."

Naruto's stomach dropped a bit when he found out he and Shikako wouldn't be on the same team. Since they were both ninja now, their schedules would be getting tighter. He was so used to hanging out with her, that it would be a tough thing to get used to. There wasn't much time to ponder it, though.

"Next, Team 11. Naruto Uzumaki-Senju, Yakumo Kurama, and Sai, with Anko Mitarashi as your Jonin-sensei."

 _Yakumo, and Sai?_ Naruto tried to wrap his mind around his new team. He had never heard of his sensei, but his teammates were familiar enough. Idly, he began to look for them in the crowd. His eyes first landed on Yakumo. She was willowy girl with long brown hair and very pale skin, almost luminescent in the light. He didn't know much about her besides the fact that she didn't talk much and generally seemed rather cold.

Perhaps the only person in the class that was a bigger enigma was his other teammate, Sai. Sai was sitting with his brother Shin in the upper right corner of the room. If Yakumo's skin was pale, Sai's was neon-pale. It was actually translucent, and contrasted starkly with his straight black hair and dark eyes. The strangest thing about Sai was the fact that he always wore an odd smile that was rather creepy due to the fact it was so obviously fake.

Naruto was jolted out of his musing when Shikako tapped him on the shoulder. She was giving him an annoyed look. It was clearly not her first attempt to get his attention. "Huh?"

Shikako huffed in annoyance.

"I _said_ , Choji and Ino are calling me over, I'm going to go see what they want," She told him. "Maybe afterwards we can go get lunch."

Naruto nodded absently. Shikako huffed again, and got up to join a chubby boy with bushy hair in a yellow t-shirt and green jacket, and a pretty girl with long platinum and a matching purple crop-top tank top and skirt.

That was Choji and Ino, two of their other friends. If anyone had to be on Shikako's team besides himself, Naruto was glad it was them. As the heirs to the Akimichi and Yamanaka Clan's, they had known Shikako even longer than him. While Choji was kind and loyal to a fault, Ino was sort of like the yin to Shikako's yang with her bubbly and girly personality. He wasn't sure what they talked about, but whatever it was made Shikako frown. After a few minutes she came back up and gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to have to take a rain check on that lunch. Choji and Ino want to eat as a team," She apologized.

Naruto hid his disappointment, and instead smiled brightly. "Ah, that's no big deal, I understand." He replied.

Shikako hesitantly returned his smile. She stood there awkwardly for a second. "Alright, if you're sure then, I guess I'll go," She said. Though she quickly added on to it. "Maybe we can meet for dinner tonight, what d'you say?" She suggested.

This time his smile wasn't quite so forced.

"Sounds great, I guess I'll see you at the usual place at six." He replied.

Shikako nodded, and hurried off to join Ino and Choji where they were waiting for her by the door. As soon as she left Naruto let loose a sigh. _Well, guess it's a good thing I brought lunch today._

He considered trying to find his teammates to get lunch, but ultimately discarded the idea and simply headed up to the roof. There was plenty of time to get to know his teammates.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

His lunch wasn't a fancy affair. A steak, with some greens, as well as some milk to provide calcium since he burned through it so fast with his bloodline. He chose to eat on the roof of the Academy since it provided him with a great view of the Hokage Monument. It was nice and quiet, and provided him a place to think without getting interrupted. As the top student in class he had a lot of people trying to hang out with him, and sometimes it was all too much. It was times like that he would come up here to think.

Right now he was thinking about his teammates. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure how it would go. He hadn't had that much interaction with either of them. Neither of them seemed like they were the most social of creatures.

Ever since she had joined the class, he hadn't known Yakumo to say one word in class unless a teacher directly asked her a question. On all accounts, she seemed like she was slightly cold. His other teammate Sai wasn't much better, with his fake emotions. The boy had a habit of sticking his foot in his mouth due to his social ineptitude and inability to relate to emotions. At least he always provided entertainment.

He, meanwhile, was almost the exact opposite of his teammates. Despite his intelligence he got along with most of the class, and he'd made several friends over the years. All he could hope for was that it would be the same with his teammates. _I really hope this works out._ He'd worked so hard to get here. Many people had called him a genius over the years, but despite the fact he knew he was intelligent, Naruto liked to believe his place at the top of the class was because of all the training he went through.

Noticing the height of the sun, Naruto decided to make his way back to the classroom.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

When Naruto got back to the classroom, there was a group of adults standing at the front, each of them clearly Jonin. They seemed to be waiting for something. Naruto tried to figure out which of the women was the sensei for his squad, not that he had much luck. There were only a few, and the only one that stood out was a woman with messy black hair and red eyes, wearing an unusual dress that seemed to be made of bandages. Could that be her?

His attention was drawn to the podium when Iruka cleared his throat.

"It seems we're short a couple jonin, but that's okay. It just means the teams whose sensei isn't here yet will have to wait, that will be al—"

Out of nowhere, one of the windows suddenly shattered inwards. The sound of the breaking glass pierced the air and interrupted Iruka's speech. Dangerous shards of clear daggers flew through the air, glinting wickedly. The object that caused it was what appeared to be a bundle of black cloth, though that illusion was quickly broken.

The ball began to unravel in midair, revealing a person. Naruto saw a glint of steal as the woman—he had caught the flash of an orange skirt and purple hair—performed a graceful twirl, launching kunai in four directions, the corners of the black cloth tied to them as it unraveled fully to reveal a banner. The woman completed her spin, and landed on the ground with her hands on her hips and a cocky grin on her face.

Idly, Naruto noted that the banner behind her read _Leaf Village's Best Rookie Sensei!_

"Alright everyone, Anko Mitarashi has arrived!" She declared. "Now, which three of you maggots are Team 11?" So she was his sensei?

Naruto hesitantly began to raise his hand, not exactly sure. His eyes met those of his teammates—who had raised their hands as well—and while Sai appeared as unshaken as always, he saw the confusion he felt reflected on her face. Just what had they been thrown into?

"Ahem, Anko, you're a bit late. I was just about to dismiss them to go with their teachers." Iruka said blandly, as he pulled back the edge of the banner and peered at the woman with narrowed eyes. Behind him Naruto could see the red eyed woman rubbing her forehead in embarrassment.

 _Hmm, she must be acquainted with her._

Anko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, in a way that reminded Naruto eerily of himself. "Oh, hehehe, is that right. Whoops, guess I jumped the gun a tiny bit," She replied. "Oh well, at least I'm not super late like Kakashi," Anko said with a casual shrug. "Anyways, Team 11, follow me to training ground fourteen!"

Without any further ado, Anko leapt out of the window as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Naruto blinking owlishly at Iruka-sensei, silently asking what to do. The brown-haired man let loose a weary sigh. "You better go follow her before you lose her. I'll wish you three good luck; as you can see she's quite a handful," He said.

Still slightly stunned, Naruto nodded numbly. "Um, I guess I better get going." Naruto said as he stood up. He turned his head towards Shikako briefly. "See ya later," He said with a wave.

Shikako waved back, a tiny, almost unnoticeable smirk. "Ya, sure. Good luck, it looks like you're going to need it." She replied.

Naruto made his way to the broken window—careful to avoid any glass—and hesitated a moment before jumping out the window and beginning to race across the school yard to try and catch up with the apparently crazy woman that was his sensei. It was a good thing he knew the general direction training ground fourteen was in, because their sensei was already long out of sight. He noticed, but didn't comment, as his teammates pulled up alongside him. Yakumo seemed to be struggling; not surprising considering she had always struggled with her physical skills.

Luckily, it only took them a few minutes to catch up to Anko. She glanced over her shoulder at them as they fell into formation behind her. "Huh, what took you guys so long?" She asked bluntly. Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Well, we didn't exactly have the best directions." He replied. Although Anko gave him the stink eye, his snarky reply seemed to mollify her. Naruto just hoped she wasn't as crazy as she looked.

Anko led them on a winding course across the villages roof tops and into the lush green forests that made up the villages training grounds. Their final destination was a modest looking training ground; a grassy plain surrounded on all sides by trees, with three stumps off to the side that looked as if they were there to be makeshift chairs. By the time they arrived, Yakumo was panting heavily, and looked as if she was about to pass out.

"Alright kiddies, take a seat." Anko ordered as soon as the stepped foot into the clearing.

While they took seats on the stumps, Anko herself leaned against a tree across from them. Naruto ended up taking the middle seat, with Yakumo and Sai on either side. While he and Sai sat down in their seats normally, Yakumo slumped down on her stump as they faced their sensei. They stared at her expectantly. It was the first time Naruto got a good look at her since she'd burst into the classroom. He'd been so shocked at her initial entry that he was kind of distracted. He had to fight down the heat that began to rise to his cheeks. Anko was a short woman—barely three inches taller than himself—with her violet hair styled in a fan-like ponytail, and brown eyes. But it wasn't that that made him blush. It was her rather provocative style. She wore a mesh body suit of some sort, with a short orange skirt and blue belt, and a tan overcoat over top.

"What are you all staring at?" Anko snapped shortly. "I'm not going to bite, if that's what you're worried about," She assured them. Though the effect was lessened slightly when she added, "I leave that to my snakes

"Anyways, so like I said before, I'm Anko Mitarashi, and for some stupid reason, that crazy old man decided to make me a jonin-sensei. So we're stuck with each other." She told them bluntly. "Now, let's do introductions. Since I'm the leader, I'll start. Like I said, I'm Anko Mitarashi, and I'm nineteen years old. I'm a ninjutsu specialist, and I work in the Torture and Interrogation Forces, so don't get on my bad side!" Anko paused to glare at them fiercely. Despite his years of training, Naruto couldn't help but shutter. Suddenly, Anko burst into laughter. "Pfft, I'm just kidding. Though seriously, don't annoy me. Anyways, since I'm stuck being your sensei, I've decided that for now my goal is to help you achieve your own goals. I can't have you making me look bad after all.

"Now, who's next?" asked Anko. She looked around expectantly at them. Nobody spoke up. Naruto himself felt a little hesitant to go first. He wasn't sure what to make of this woman. She was just so quirky. Anko rose an eyebrow at the silence. "Don't everyone speak up at once." She said teasingly.

Naruto felt the tips of his ears burn slightly, and licked his lips. Normally he wasn't so nervous. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Senju, although I usually just go by Senju. I like to train and, and sparring. I'm pretty good at ninjutsu and taijutsu, and I'd like to learn more about kenjutsu. I can't wait to start our training, so I can get stronger. My dream is to become Hokage, and surpass my father and grandfather. Nothing is going to stop me!" He said with determination.

Anko grinned crookedly. "That's right, you're the Fourth Hokage's brat aren't you? You're pretty spirited, I'll give ya that, although you might want tone down the enthusiasm. Loud guys tend to get killed first in the field," She said, her smile sickly sweet. It sort of threw him off.

"Anyways, who's next?"

Surprisingly, it was Sai that spoke up. He seemed unperturbed as always by what was going on around him. With that fake smile on his face and his eyes crinkled shut, he said, "My name is Sai, just Sai, no surname. I live with my brother Shin. I don't see how it is your business, but I like to draw. My goal is to become a competent ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village and serve my commanders." He said.

It seemed Anko didn't have a snappy comeback for Sai's intro. She simply blinked owlishly. Not that Naruto could blame her. That had to have been the blandest introduction ever! Though, knowing what little he did about Sai, it was a miracle the boy hadn't managed to insult anyone.

"Um, alright, moving on." She finally managed to say.

This time it was fairly obvious who would speak next, so everyone turned to look at Yakumo. She shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. It made Naruto feel a little sorry for her.

". . . I'm Yakumo Kurama. I want to prove I can be a kunoichi, and become the most powerful genjutsu user this village has ever seen, so I can prove to someone they were wrong about me."

Silence reigned in the wake of her introduction. Naruto was a little surprised by how much she shared. It was probably the most he'd heard her talk in one go. For the first time, he began to think Yakumo wasn't cold, but simply shy.

"Alright, that was pretty interesting, even if some introductions were a bit lackluster," Anko said, looking pointedly at Sai, who simply shrugged. "I suppose all that's left is to tell you that despite what you think, you're not genin yet. You'll have to pass my little test first."

Naruto's head snapped around to look at his sensei intensely. "Huh?" He asked dumbly.

"You're a bit of an idiot, aren't you?" She asked. "Like I said, you're not genin yet." Anko said, she spoke really carefully, as if talking to someone who was really slow on the uptake.

A tension filled the air at her words. It was readily apparent that neither of his teammates were expecting to hear th8at either. Anko smirked at them.

"What, you didn't think we'd let you be ninja with such a puny test, did ya?" She asked teasingly. "Like I said, you still have one more test to go. The graduation exam is merely to see who _might_ become genin. Every jonin-sensei gives their team their own test to decide whether they pass them or send them back to the academy," She explained.

"We'll be meeting back here tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. I won't go into details, but the test you'll be given will require you to work together as a team. Until then, you're dismissed. Try to enjoy the rest of the day, because it might be your last wearing those headbands." Anko said sinisterly. She promptly vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving a jarring silence in her wake.

Naruto and his teammates sat there for a while. He could tell both of them were contemplating this new test, just as he was. It certainly threw a new roadblock in their way. Not that Naruto would let it stop him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he thought about Anko calling him an idiot. She was sooooooo going to regret that. Nobody called Naruto Senju and idiot and got away with it!

One by one, they dispersed. He was the last one to leave; he had to meet someone later after all.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

The sun had already begun to set when Naruto arrived at Gyuniku's Grill, rendering the sky a deep burnt orange color. Gyuniku's was the go-to place for him and Shikako to meet up for dinner. He'd stopped at home after leaving the training field to swap his shinobi clothes for a more an orange t-shirt with the Senju crest on it and a simple pair of pants.

The bell above he door jingled as he walked into the restaurant, alerting the host at his stand. Naruto recognized him immediately, it was Toru, the nephew of the owner. He must've picked up an extra shift because he usually only did afternoon shifts. Toru was a lanky young man with dark hair and tan skin. Ever since Naruto had known him he was always ridiculously cheerful, which was why they got along.

"Hello and welcome t—" Toru paused when he laid eyes on him. He smiled warmly. "Oh, it's you, Naruto. It's good to see you," He greeted.

Naruto returned the man's smile and dipped his head in greeting. "Hey Toru, nice to see you too," He replied. "So, is she here yet?"

Toru nodded with a teasing grin. "Yep, she's at the usual table. So, you two on another of your date's?"

Instead of giving Toru the rise he wanted, Naruto simply grunted in annoyance. The first few times the man had tried to imply he and Shikako were more than friends, he had been really embarrassed. By now he was desensitized to it, though.

"Yeah yeah, give it a rest." Naruto shot back as he passed the host stand. He made his way to the back of the restaurant, and to a booth tucked away in one of the corners. The inside of the restaurant was really cozy. It was dimly lit, and red-tinted lamp shades hung above each of the tables.

Just as Toru had said, Shikako was there waiting for him. There was already silver ware laid out on the table with a couple glasses of water. She was looking out the window with her chin propped on her hand, apparently enjoying the sunset. Like him, she had decided to switch out of her usual clothes for a more casual lavender shirt and black pants. She was also wearing a black choker around her neck.

She was probably lost in thought, since she didn't notice his presence until he slid into his seat across from her. Her lazy gaze flicked over to him when the upholstery of the seat squeaked underneath him. "Oh, hey Naruto, hope you don't mind, but I already ordered for us, I got you your usual yakiniku." She greeted.

Naruto waved it off. "That's no problem, as long as you remembered the glass of mi—"

"Milk, yeah, it's not that hard to remember seeing as how you drink it everywhere you go." Shikako gave him an amused smile. "I can't believe you got that tall by eating only meat, ramen, and milk," She teased.

He felt his cheeks heat up slightly, and under his breath muttered, "I eat veggies too, just not when I go out."

It probably wasn't quiet enough, because Shikako busted out in a fit of giggles. They were contagious, though. Despite his embarrassment he couldn't help but chuckle along with her. Eventually it turned into full blown laughter. Naruto wasn't sure how long it lasted, but by the time they were done, other customers had begun to look at them weirdly. He paid them no mind as he took a sip from his glass of water.

"Anyways, how'd you're meeting go?" He asked.

Shikako shrugged. Her cheeks were still slightly pink from her laughter. "It was okay. The three of us already knew each other, so it was mostly a matter of getting to know Asuma-sensei and him getting to know us," She replied.

"Oh? So what did you think of Asuma?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. He had seen Asuma off and on during his time living with the Hokage. After his accident, the man had decided to have Naruto move in with him and his family so he was better protected.

"I don't know, he seems okay. I get the feeling he's laidback," Shikako paused, and adopted an annoyed expression. "Although his smoking is a bit annoying," She commented. "Ah well, no use thinking about it too much."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Yeah, he gets that from gramps, only instead of a pipe, he prefers cigarettes." He replied.

An impish grin worked itself onto his face. "Although, you could always do what I do when one of them smoke in front of me,"

"Oh?"

"Douse him with a water jutsu."

Shikako giggled lightly. "Unfortunately, I don't know any of those, so I'm out of luck." She said. Her giggles faded, and she adopted a quizzical look. "Anyways, how'd your meeting go? You weren't quite as lucky as me as far as knowing your teammates goes."

"Hmm, it went okay," Naruto mused. "And when it comes to knowing them, I learned a bit about them, especially Yakumo. You know how she's always quiet and everyone assumes it's because she doesn't feel anything?" He asked. Shikako nodded. "Well, it turns out that it's not so much that she doesn't feel anything, I actually think it's because she's shy." He explained excitedly.

"Huh, that actually makes sense." Shikako commented. "So, what about Sai, and your sensei?"

Naruto paused to take another sip of water before he answered. "Sai is hard to get a read on. I can't really tell what's up with him, aside from the fact I'm certain he doesn't know what emotions are. I'm just glad he didn't insult anyone." He said. "As for Anko-sensei, she seems a little . . . off. She's pretty hyper, and a little obnoxious. Plus she thinks I'm an idiot." Naruto tried to avoid pouting. He hated when people called him an idiot.

"Anything else?" Shikako asked. She didn't even raise an eyebrow at his antics.

"Well, she threw me for a loop with that second test. Gramps did pretty good to keep something that big from me."

It was a bit of a game between him and his grandfather, him using his intellect to try and find out as much as he could about the graduation process, and his grandfather trying to keep them secret. Naruto supposed it made sense. The second test was probably designed to be a surprise to simulate the possibility of receiving a mission last minute. Those who passed were ready to be ninja, those who didn't needed more time.

Shikako groaned. "So you got one of those too? Man, it's such a drag that we have to do more tests. We _just_ got through with a week of them at the Academy," She complained.

Although he wasn't quite as upset as his friend—Shikako hated extra work—he could certainly understand where she was coming from.

"Yeah, we got one. Anko-sensei didn't go into much detail, but she did mention we'd need to act as a team. It could be anything really." He answered. "What about you guys, did Asuma-sensei give you any info?"

Shikako shook her head. "No, he basically said the same thing your sensei said," Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Though as he was leaving, I could've sworn he muttered something about catching a cat."

Naruto rose an eyebrow at that, though he didn't comment on it. "Well, either way, you guys shouldn't have much trouble in a simple capture mission." He said reassuringly.

"Yeah, you're probably right, I just don't like all this extra work." Shikako agreed grudgingly. "You'll probably pass too, I don't really see _how_ your teacher could give you a test you couldn't pass, even with teammates."

"You never know; she might come up with something." Naruto replied diplomatically. Shikako snorted in amusement.

"Please, don't make me laugh. The likely hood of her making a test you wouldn't be able to pass is pretty low. You could have easily graduated two years ago, but you chose not to. Despite how much you might try to downplay your skills; I know better" She shot back. "I checked the scores, do you know how high you ranked in overall scores?"

Naruto furrowed his brow, and shook his head to indicate he didn't have an idea. To be honest, he never really paid any attention to the scores. He knew he did well, and that was all that mattered. His ignorance in this occasion, seemed to amuse Shikako.

"Well, for your information, your overall score from your time at the Academy—and especially the final—was the highest ever," She informed him. His eyes widened at the information.

"Ever?"

"Yes, ever. That's including the scores of both the Third Hokage, and your father, as well as Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha." Now that was truly shocking.

"How's that even possible?" He asked. Shikako shrugged.

"Well, most of them graduated early. They didn't have time to rack up perfect score after perfect score, and none of them got a perfect score on the final exam." Shikako paused, and gave him a teasing smirk. "Don't let your head get too big, though. Almost every Elite Jonin or similar in the village could _still_ probably kick your ass big time."

Naruto slumped forward in an exaggerated manner, and let out an overdramatic groan. "Ah man, and here I thought I was going to be able to march up to Gramps' office and demand to be Hokage." He cried dramatically.

Shikako let out another musical laugh, and muttered, "Idiot," Under her breath.

He laughed right alongside her. The ruckus they caused with their noise drew the attention of the other customers, but Naruto didn't pay them any attention. He was too caught up in having a good time with his best friend. He had no idea what tomorrow would bring; whether they would pass or fail. All he knew was that he wanted to enjoy the moment, and worry about the test later.

Soon enough their dinner arrived. The two tucked in with enthusiasm. While the pace of their conversation slowed, they continued to talk about their days. After they finished their meals they parted with the promise that they'd meet up after their tests to tell each other how it went.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

 **AN/ So there you go, the first chapter of my new story. Obviously this chapter was just about breaking the ice with many of the characters. We got a glimpse at Anko, Yakumo, and Sai, Naruto's team for this story. I decided on them because I didn't really want to put Naruto on the same team as Sasuke, since for one they will be rivals in this story, and for two it didn't make much sense because both of them were really high in scores, with Naruto having an absolutely perfect score across the board on his exams, and the highest score in both the mental aspects and the physical ones in the academy.**

 **Tell me what you thought of Naruto's portrayal in this chapter. I tried to keep it a mix of cannon with an underlying intelligence. That intelligence will become clearer as the story continues; Naruto might act like an idiot, but he's not, not by a long shot. He IS the grandson of Tobirama after all. Also tell me what you thought about the interactions with Anko. I tried to keep the first impression of her from cannon as much as possible, but she's not going to be like that the entire time, her personality and character, as well as that of others, will get more unpeeled as the story goes on. Kind of like an onion; my goal is for each of the main characters to have several layers of nuance to them.**

 **Next chapter will be the team test for Naruto's team—and Naruto's Dead Bone Pulse! The test I have planned is my own design. It'll be similar to the Bell Test, but still very different.**

 **Please be sure to favorite, follow, and review. Feedback and constructive criticism/questions is not only welcome, but encouraged. Flames, though, will be ignored with the Power of Youth!**

 **Next Time: Team 11's Test, the Dead Bone Pulse Emerges!**

 **So, til Next Time,**

 **RinneTaicho Signing Off!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Naruto: The Death Flash**

 **AN/ Well, hello, and welcome to the second chapter of Naruto: The Death Flash! This time we'll see Naruto and his team take their official genin test. But what is this test? Is it the bell test, or something different? You'll have to read to find out, so without further ado, let's get on with it.**

 **Now, on with the chapter!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context: _'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: ' _What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Arc I: The Formation**

 **Chapter 2: Team 11's Test, the Dead Bone Pulse Emerges!**

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

If Naruto was a superstitious person, he might have taken the weather that day as a bad omen for the day to come. Rain fell from the sky in a near constant drizzle. The kind of rain that would drive you crazy because it ensured everything was damp, but it wasn't particularly hard or fast. It was a cold, wet, miserable day. At least for most it was. Naruto himself didn't mind it so much. Although he enjoyed the natural warmth and temperate climate of his home country as much as the next person, he also enjoyed the rain. It made him feel as if the world was being washed clean.

Naruto was the first one to arrive at the training ground. It was still early, and the rain had caused a temporary stream to form on one side of the field. He hunkered down underneath one of the trees. While the branches were bare, their sheer girth allowed him to stay dry. He simply sat there and admired the rain until his teammates arrived.

The first to arrive was Sai. He had that same creepy smile on his face. Nonetheless, Naruto decided to be courteous and greet the boy. No matter how odd he was.

"Hey, how's it going?"

Sai tilted his head to the side. "How's . . . it . . . going?" He repeated slowly, as if he wasn't used to the words. "If I remember right, that is a common informal greeting used to inquire as to how someone is feeling. I believe I'm supposed to answer by saying 'everything is fine'. Did I get that right?" Said asked in his monotone voice.

Naruto wasn't quite sure how to react to that. "Um, yeah, sure, I guess." He replied uncomfortably.

"Ah, I'm glad."

He waited for Sai to say more, but he never did. Instead the pale-skinned boy went over to sit against a tree, where he pulled out a notebook and an ink brush. Sai began to draw. It seemed like they sat there in an awkward silence for hours—though in reality it was only a half hour—waiting for their sensei. At one point Yakumo showed up. Naruto tried to draw her into a conversation, but all she did was mutter a barely audible "Hello" and go and sit against one of the trees. All in all, it was a very awkward wait.

Mercifully, his sensei finally arrived using a body flicker. She wore a rather sadistic grin on her face. "Well good morning kiddies, hope you rested good, because this test is going to be hell!" She greeted cheerfully.

Naruto wasn't surprised when all she got from his teammates was "I rested adequately." from Sai, and a mumbled "Yes:" from Yakumo.

 _At least it's not just me that they don't socialize with._ In an effort to break the silence, he gave a more enthusiastic reply. "You bet I had a good rest. I'm ready for this test!" He replied.

Anko smirked. "Still as enthusiastic as ever I see. We'll see how long that lasts once the test begins," She said challengingly. "Alright, now listen up, cause I'm only going to explain this once." Anko paused. Probably to make sure that their attention was on her. Not that she needed to. "The test I've come up with is called Save the Civilian. The rules shouldn't be that hard to understand," Anko explained. "Once the test starts, I'm going to retreat further into the training ground, where our 'civilian' is hidden. Your job is to find me and the civilian, and then rescue them without the civilian being injured. This is meant to simulate a standard hostage situation like you might have to face in the field," She paused, and placed a finger on her chin in thought. "Oh yeah, and since this is a hostage situation, there may or may not be traps. Whether you pass or fail depends on how impressed I am by your performance, so don't screw up!" She said with a deceptively pleasant smile.

As his sensei had been telling them the rules, Naruto had been running each new factor through his head, and began to come up with strategies as he considered the multiple variables. It wasn't easy. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he almost missed his sensei taking out an alarm clock and setting it on a tree stump.

"This will serve as the timer for the test. It's set to go off at noon, that means you'll have two hours starting . . . NOW!"

Without any warning, Anko reached into her equipment pouch. Naruto didn't have any time to react before she withdrew a small ball covered in paper and tossed it to the ground. Instantly the air was filled with thick black smoke. It was impossible for Naruto to see anything; he might as well have had his eyes closed. Using his chakra sensing capabilities, he was able to feel his sensei move away quickly. Though that advantage didn't last for long. Not even ten seconds later her signature disappeared (probably concealed), and they were left fumbling in the dark.

 _Anko-sensei is no joke. Her speed and skill is unreal; I barely saw that coming!_ Naruto liked to think he himself was pretty fast, but he could tell from that one instant that Anko was on an entirely different level.

With his vision impaired, Naruto tried to find his way around at first. He only went a couple steps before he accidently tread on someone's foot.

"Ouch! Who is that?" A feminine voice yelped in pain. Naruto paused.

"Yakumo?" He said in question.

"Naruto?" She replied.

"Sorry about that, this damn smoke is making it hard to see. It must be a higher grade than usual. Give me a second and I'll get rid of it. Just make sure to cover your eyes." He told her, silently cursing himself for not dealing with the smoke immediately. As he made his hand signs, he made sure not to put too much chakra into it. " **Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!** "

A fierce wind swept through the clearing. It rattled tree branches, and quickly swept the smoke into its clutches, to spread out into the sky and dissipate. Without the smoke blocking his vision, Naruto took time to look around for any clues as to where his sensei had gone. He wasn't too surprised when he found none. Despite her . . . eccentricities, Anko was obviously a highly skilled kunoichi. During his studying, he took note of the fact that Sai had made his way into the branches of a tree during the commotion. Most likely to try and get above the smoke; not something you'd expect from a fresh genin. Though he didn't say anything, and instead focused on the task at hand.

"Well, I guess we should come up with a plan." Suggested Naruto.

"Agreed." Sai commented as he jumped down from the tree.

They gathered in a circle around the stumps in the field. For a few moments, things were a bit awkward. The need to focus on the test, though, forced Naruto to break the silence. "Alright, I think we should start by explaining our skills to one another, that way we can better come up with a strategy. I'll go first.

"I specialize in taijutsu and ninjutsu, and I use kenjutsu. I'd say I'm a close to mid-range fighter, and I can use elemental jutsu from Wind, Water, and Lightning elements. I also have a kekkei genkai that allows me to control my skeletal structure, and I'm a sensor type." Naruto explained. He briefly considered mentioning the Nine-Tails, but figured he'd leave that for another time. It wasn't like it could help since he hadn't trained very much in controlling the chakra. Never the less, his teammates seemed impressed by his list of skills, especially Sai.

"The Dead Bone Pulse? Impressive. Certainly useful in a physical fight." He commented. "As for my own skills, I'm proficient in the use of taijutsu and weapons, but I'm mostly a mid-range fighter. I utilize the Super Beast Scroll Jutsu, which allows me to bring to life things I draw." Naruto listened to the boy's explanation of his skills. His signature jutsu seemed intriguing. It would likely be helpful in distracting Anko and possibly capturing her.

Finally, his eyes turned to the last member of the group, who had remained silent with her eyes focused on the ground. Her light brown hair framed her delicate facial features. "My physical skills aren't very good, but I'm skilled in genjutsu, especially when using my Kekkei Genkai, which allows me to trick the body into thinking damage is real. I'd rather not use it, though. Not only is it dangerous, but I find it hard to control."

Naruto nodded in understanding. The implications of such an ability sounded rather terrifying. In a way it was similar to his own Dead Bone Pulse, in that it was a bloodline most wouldn't immediately want due to the 'creepiness' of it. "I understand, that's fine. Even regular genjutsu should come in handy."

The trio spent a few more minutes discussing their skills in more detail. Naruto was pleasantly surprised to learn that both his teammates knew the Tree Climbing Exercise. While it wasn't _too_ advanced, it wasn't something students usually learned before they left the Academy. He was also intrigued to find out that Sai was able to create small mice to scout ahead. That would likely come in handy. Likewise, the strength of Yakumo's genjutsu would help them make sure they could retrieve the hostage safely.

"Now that we have an overview of each other's individual skills, how should we approach this test?" Sai questioned. "Obviously there will be traps set, and we have to catch her by surprise and keep Anko-sensei busy enough to where she can't use the hostage as leverage."

"Hmm, assuming the area around them is booby trapped, I could probably clear many of them with a water jutsu. We could use it as a distraction to take care of any traps in the trees, and if all else fails I can use clones to spring them for us," Naruto mused. "After that I think I should move in and engage her directly. Her physical skills are obviously superior, but the surprise about my Kekkei Genkai, and you backing me up with your jutsu, should be enough to momentarily keep her busy,"

Naruto's strategic mind began to think out every scenario. Even if he was able to keep pace with Anko, they'd still have to rescue her 'prisoner'. "While we do that, Yakumo can hide in the trees and prepare a genjutsu for Anko-sensei. Once she's captured in it, you, Sai, can use your drawings to rescue the prisoner, while I guard you in case she escapes from the illusion."

For several moments after he finished expressing his plan all was silent. Finally, it was Sai that broke the silence.

"I have no issues with that plan," He said. After getting his confirmation, Naruto turned his eyes to Yakumo, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Me either . . ." She mumbled.

"Good, in that case, unless you have any questions, let's begin." His teammates both nodded in agreement, and Naruto placed his index finger on the ground. He stretched his chakra senses to the maximum. "Now, let's find Anko-sensei." He muttered.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

Using his sensing skills, Naruto was able to track down their sensei rather easily. She was about two miles east of their initial meeting spot. The curious thing was that there was another signature with her; one that was roughly the same size.

Together he and his team made their way swiftly and silently through the forest. He was like a wraith as he stole through the underbrush, Sai traveling right behind him. Yakumo traveled above them, not trusting herself to be silent in the brush. When he sensed that they were nearly to their sensei's location, and he could just barely glimpse a clearing in the trees ahead, Naruto held his hand up to halt their progress. They gathered in a small circle on the ground.

"Alright, let's start. Yakumo, you go up into the trees and get into position so you have a good view of Anko-sensei and the hostage. Wait until you see my jutsu to start weaving your genjutsu, it will make her more susceptible," He ordered in a quiet whisper. Yakumo nodded in understanding and darted up one of the nearby trees.

"Well, you seem to be our defacto leader, so what would you like me to do?" Asked Sai.

There wasn't any of the animosity in his voice that Naruto would expect from some of his other classmates if someone else was taking charge. It was an odd but welcomed gift, since it made his strategizing much easier.

"I'd like you to use your rats to scout out where the traps are. That way I can pinpoint them more accurately with the jutsu I have in mind," He replied.

Without any further instruction, Sai whipped out his scroll and brush. Naruto noticed, as the scroll was unfurled, that Sai had already pre-made about two dozen rats drawn in neat little rows. Sai formed a silent ram sign and began to channel his chakra. It made Naruto tense slightly and his stomach tighten. He was worried that their sensei would notice the brief burst of chakra. All he could hope was that she wasn't a sensor.

Despite his nervousness, the sight of the rats coming to life captured Naruto's attention. He'd never seen anything quite like it. The ink seemed to peel and stretch itself off the page, doubling the rats size and giving them shape and form. Their bodies were jet black, with highlights of white here and there to give the illusion of fur. As soon as they formed the rats would scurry into the bushes; the leaves rustled in their wake.

Naruto and Sai waited in tense silence for the rats to return. With each second that past, Naruto became more uncertain whether the plan would work. Luckily that wasn't the case. About five minutes after they left, the first pointed black face poked through the bushes and scurried back to its creator. The ink merged back into the paper Squiggles writhed across the page to form a map with a small 'x' mark; the location of the trap the rat found. More began to return, some adding new locations, others disappearing completely. When the last rat merged back into the page, Sai held the scroll up and began to read it.

"There don't seem to be any traps in the treetops or in the forest around the clearing, most of them seem to be placed on the edges or surrounding Anko-sensei and the hostage." Sai told him. He then handed the map to Naruto, so he could view it for himself.

Naruto studied the map carefully, so he could determine the location of all the traps in comparison to where they were. The amount was . . . surprising. _Geez, that's a lot of traps. Not just simple snares or pitfalls either; there are some explosives and trip wires that will launch kunai. She must have been planning this for a week at least._

When he finally felt that he had it down, Naruto returned the map to Sai. "Alright," He said as he began to weave hand signs. "Be ready to act as soon as I unleash this jutsu."

Hr felt the familiar tug in his gut as his energy built inside him; waiting to be. The water nature caused it to pulse inside his body, like waves crashing upon the shore. At that point, Naruto abandoned all stealth, as he stood and clapped his hands with a cry of, " **Water Style: Water Shockwave!** "

The moisture in the air gathered and condensed, and formed a large vortex of water in front of him. The rain that had been falling all day made it all the easier for it to form. The vortex exploded from the top. Water swept forth in a ripping torrent that swept through the brush with a mighty roar. Naruto guided the wave with his hands, sending it forth into the clearing and towards the traps. It tore at the ground, ripping up and exposing them all; pitfalls, snares. It really started to get ridiculous when the explosions started to go off. Dust and smoke blasted skywards, as explosions went off every few seconds. It caused the ground to shake, and the concussions pressed against his eardrums, making them ache. _Jeez, over kill much?_

For over a half a minute the explosions continued. By the time they stopped and all the traps were exposed, the clearing looked like a veritable warzone, with craters and debris strewn across the ground haphazardly.

Through the hole that had been created in the underbrush, Naruto could see his sensei standing in front of their hostage, a man with lanky brown hair and bags under his eyes that was bound and gagged. Anko's eyes were slightly wide as the water drained away.

Naruto took advantage of her distraction to shrug out of his kimono top. The blue soaked fabric fell to hang heavily from his waist, held up by his simple black sash. Naruto rolled his shoulders and neck around to loosen them for the battle about to come. "Let's do this," He muttered to himself.

A subtle application of chakra to his skeletal structure caused the bones in his left shoulder to begin to shift. The first few times he had done this, Naruto had been thoroughly creeped out, but now he was desensitized to it. Within a second a bone pushed itself up through his skin. Naruto grabbed hold of the new bone—which seemed to form a handle—with his right hand and pulled on it. With a rather sickening— _shlick_ —of parting flesh, he yanked the handle from his shoulder. A chokuto-like blade, over two feet in length, followed after. The white blade gleamed wickedly in the light.

The entire process was so quick that his sensei was still adjusting to the shock when he charged at her, his sword trailing behind him. Anko's surprise didn't last long. She quickly recovered and reached into her equipment pouch for a kunai, using the ring to spin it around and into her palm. Naruto brought both hands onto his sword in a two-handed grip.

Quicker than Naruto could follow, Anko threw the kunai. He didn't ever see it leave her hand; but her certainly felt the hot sear as it sliced his cheek open. The next thing he knew his sensei disappeared. He felt her reappear behind his back, her cheek rubbed against his own as her chest pressed into his back. Her grip around his neck stopped him cold in his tracks.

His eyes stretched wide and he squirmed when he felt her tongue swept across his cheek, the slimy muscle lapping up the hot trickle of blood that ran down it. It caused his stomach to tighten for reasons he couldn't quite understand.

"Ya know, it's the idiot tough guys that rush into a fight that die first on the battle field, spilling that sweet blood I love so much." Anko whispered into his ear. Naruto was frozen as his sensei spoke. "Try to keep that in mind when we get into an actual fight, I wouldn't want you dying on me." Anko's cheek shifter slightly as she glanced down at his bone sword. "Hmm, I will admit, the Dead Bone Pulse was a bit of a surprise. The Hokage didn't mention that when he assigned you to me, and I have a hard time believing he didn't know about it. I'll have to give the old man a piece of my mind when I see him," She commented

Naruto licked his suddenly dry lips. "I suppose you caught me. Though there are two things you should know," He said.

"Oh, what's that?" Anko asked curiously.

"The first, is that I kind of expected you might try to get behind me, after seeing how much faster than me you were earlier," Perhaps he took too much pleasure in the tensing of his sensei's body against his own, but after it once again being insinuated that he was an idiot, he was a little peeved. "And the second, is that I always keep some Shadow Clone's in reserve, and I'm really good at substitution."

Before his sensei could react, Naruto performed a seal-less substitution. At the same time, he had the clone he swapped with detonate itself.

Naruto reappeared on the edge of the clearing, just as a large explosion rocked the training ground. There was a brief flash of flame, before smoke began to billow up, obscuring the site of the explosion.

Suddenly, he saw his sensei launch herself backwards out of the smoke. Her arms were crossed over her face—most likely to protect it from the heat—and there were a few scorch marks on her coat. "Sai, back me up with some of your ink creations," Naruto muttered to the silent figure he knew was hiding in the bushes.

 _Now, let's try this again._ Naruto shot forward once more, intent to intercept his sensei before she could recover fully. He was fairly confident it was her, since he hadn't felt her chakra fluctuate at all, which would have indicated some sort of substitution or clone jutsu. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite quick enough. Anko executed a flip in midair, and landed on the ground, skidding backwards in a crouch. She was quick to bring her kunai up in a hasty guard.

 _CLANG!_

Bone met metal with a surprisingly metallic ring. Naruto bore down on his sensei and her small kunai with his full might. It didn't do any good. To his shock, even with only one hand and a smaller weapon, Anko was able to hold him back with little visible strain. _Amazing, I'm using my full strength and she's not budging_ Naruto silently marveled at her strength. _Is this the power of a Jonin?_

Anko gave him feral smirk. "That was a pretty nasty attack back there, it was almost like you planned it. I think I might be changing my opinion of you,"

"Tch, whatever. You definitely have the edge in speed and strength, but you still haven't seen my **Camellia Dance**!" Naruto replied. He disengaged from the stalemate, and began to jab at Anko with super-fast strikes of his blade. His arms became blurs as he assaulted her with a barrage of strikes.

While none of them were able to land, they did their job in distracting her. From behind her, Naruto could see several ink tigers creeping towards them. He disengaged at the last possible moment, when the tigers leapt on Anko.

The purple-haired woman let out a cry of pain as the first tiger bit into her shoulder, with the second following quickly after, and locking its jaws around her forearm. "Grrr, you brats are really starting to annoy me," She said in a low growl.

In a herculean burst of strength, Anko wrenched herself free of the tigers. She spun on her heel and turned to face them. Crimson blood soaked into her torn clones where she had been bitten, but it went ignored. "Time to say good night, kitties!" She sneered. " **Striking Shadow Snakes!** "

Dark green snakes shot from the sleeves. Like writing ropes they shot through the air, and their mouths latched onto the throats of the ink tigers; their fangs sinking deep. Unsurprisingly, the tigers collapsed into puddles of ink. With her assailants taken care of, Anko turned around. There was a fierce gleam in her eyes that Naruto wasn't particularly keen on. "So, you like animals? Well I'll show you one of my pets."

Anko used her canine teeth to slice into her thumb. She smeared the blood across a black tattoo on her wrist, and then slammed her palm into the ground. " **Summoning Jutsu!** "

A cloud of smoke burst forth underneath Anko, and Naruto was instantly put on guard when he sensed a new and powerful chakra signature appear. It was perhaps even stronger than Anko's own signature. _She has a summoning contract. Crap, that's not good . . ._ He hadn't been expecting to face something as powerful as a summons; contracts were so rare that he hadn't bothered to consider their sensei having one.

Within the smoke, a shadowy figure could be seen in the cloud of smoke, which had risen above the treetops.

A sibilant hiss came from the shadow. There was no mistaking that bloodcurdling sound as anything but that of a snake. A giant one at that judging by the depth and volume. Instinctively, Naruto gulped in fear. His sensei's menacing voice within the smoke didn't make him feel any better.

"Snack time Korochi."

A gigantic brown serpent erupted from the smoke. It`s body was as thick as a tree trunk, and it had to be at least forty meters long. The beast's jaws were gaping, wicked fangs the size of swords gleamed menacingly. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, though, instead of coming at himself as he expected, the snake was aiming for the bushes where he knew Sai to be hiding.

"SAI, QUICK, GET OUT OF THERE!" He shouted.

 _Crap, I don't know if I'll be fast enough!_ Naruto flew through a trio of hand seals. He took a deep breath in, and his cheeks bulged outwards. **_Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!_** Naruto spat out several projectiles of compressed wind that soared through the air in an expansive range. He wasn't looking to hit the snake so much as slow it down, and his attack had the desired effect. The bullets smashed into the ground just in front of Anko's summon. The impact forced the snake to pull up short, lest it be hit by one of the bullets, which would have taken a chunk out of its hide.

The distraction bought just enough time for Sai to leap from the bushes, landing at Naruto's side with his scroll and ink brush out.

"That was a close call. A few more seconds and the snake would have gotten to me." Sai commented. Naruto nodded grimly in agreement as the giant snake turned around and fixed them with it's yellow-eyed glare.

"Yeah, I don't know how much longer we can hold off that snake. We didn't expect to face a summons," He agreed. "I can sense that Yakumo has begun weaving her genjutsu. All we have to do is stall them for another minute or two. If we can do that, she should be able to capture Anko-sensei and her summons in it. After that it's just a matter of capturing Sensei and saving the hostage."

Naruto glanced back at the brown-haired man behind them. Surprisingly, there was no sign of fear from him. If anything, it seemed like he was studying them. _Interesting, he must be a shinobi_

When he returned his attention to his sensei, she was looking at him and Sai with a narrow gaze. "Ya know, you two are really starting to tick me off. Your teamwork is really annoying. Every time I'm about to get to one of ya, the other butts in." She said. "Speaking of teammates, where's the other one? Don't tell me she decided to run away. That would be pathetic," Anko scoffed. Then a thoughtful look stole across her face. "Or perhaps . . . she's up to something?" Naruto felt his stomach lurched as Anko unknowingly hit the nail on the head.

The panic he felt in that moment must have shown in his eyes, because Anko's eyes hardened. "So that's it, huh? Then maybe I should focus on finding little Yakumo. Korochi, sniff her out." Immediately, the snake started to flick its tongue in the air, looking for the scent of Yakumo.

"Shit," Naruto cursed. "Sai, we have to stop them from finding Yakumo!"

The pale skinned boy nodded, and he started to draw furiously on his scroll.

As for Naruto, he formed the dragon seal, and announced, " **Water Style: Wild Water Wave!** " A huge wave of water sprayed forth from his mouth, headed on a collision course with the snake with the force of a waterfall. Naruto poured a truly massive amount of chakra into the technique, ensuring that it would be powerful enough to sweep up the snake. But he wasn't done there. He also performed an extra three hand signs. " **Lightning Style: Wave of Inspiration!** "

Blue electricity sparked to life within and around the water wave, electrifying it and turning it into a truly deadly jutsu. His combination jutsu slammed into his sensei's summon with the force of a freight train. Anko was forced to abandon her perch on the snake's head to avoid being electrocuted. She just barely managed to leap clear, and landed on the branch of a nearby tree. Unfortunately, the snake wasn't so lucky. It was picked up bodily by the wave, and slammed into the tree line with bone-breaking force. The summon collapsed to the ground, paralyzed, with sparks of electricity still crackling across it's body.

"Now Sai, the paralysis won't last long!"

"Right!" With a final flourish of his brush, Sai completed whatever it was that he was drawing. " **Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!** "

Six black and white ink tigers leapt off the page. They charged the snake and began to tear into it. They were ferocious in their assault, biting and clawing, ripping up flesh. Naruto didn't have to see much to know that the snake wouldn't last long before it was forced to dispel.

With the snake apparently taken care of, Naruto turned his attention to their sensei. _Quick, while she's still unprepared!_ He didn't bother trying to charge her on foot. It would be too slow. No, he'd have to rely on a technique he normally wouldn't use in combat. **_Teleportation Jutsu!_**

Chakra suffused his muscles, temporarily vitalizing them. The world flickered around Naruto as he seemed to disappear from his former spot and reappear in front of his sensei. He didn't hesitate to bring his sword down for slash. Despite his advantage in speed and surprise, his attack failed. Anko reacted instantly. She brought her kunai up to deflect his bone sword to the side in a shower of sparks. Then she instantly stepped into his guard, and slammed a palm into his chest with bruising force. He was sent flying through the air to slam into the trunk of the tree they were fighting in.

He hit the trunk so hard it made the surface of the tree crack. Spit flew from his mouth as the breath was driven from his lungs. Naruto slumped forward with a groan, only just able to keep from slipping to the ground. He braced himself against the trunk, and tried draw in a breath of air, but instantly regretted it. A sharp radiating pain shot threw his chest. _Crap. Not good. Either the hit or the impact must have cracked some ribs._

"You're pretty good kid, but this is the end of the line. Better luck next time." Anko's voice drew Naruto's attention back to her. She had her right arm still extended, pointed right at him.

Instantly, his mind flashed back to jutsu she had used earlier. Naruto flinched back. He struggled to raise his arms, willing new bones to form in hopes of blocking the jutsu.

" **Striking Shadow Sn—** " Anko cut off abruptly. Her eyes glazed over and she entered a trance-like state.

"Huh?" Naruto was puzzled for a moment. Then realization hit. The genjutsu, it had taken hold! Now was their chance "Quick, Sai, free the hostage! I'll keep my eyes on Anko-sensei!"

Naruto didn't wait to see if his orders were followed. He took a steadying breath and pushed himself away from the tree trunk. _Now, to take care of those ribs._ From the pain he knew that the cracked rib had to be on the right side, so he silently poured his chakra into that side, and willed the ribs to poke through his skin. It was a rather gruesome sight, but it got the job done. Within seconds the old ribs dropped to the ground in a small pile, three of them were cracked. Naruto sighed in relief as he felt his new ribs growing in their place.

"Naruto, the hostage is free. Mission accomplished." Naruto glanced down below, and saw Sai standing next to the brown-haired man. He took a glance at their sensei, who was still immobilized, and then used the Teleportation Jutsu to join them.

Sai muttered something about keeping an eye on their sensei, and walked away. Naruto didn't pay it too much attention. His attention was on the brown-haired man, who was looking at him curiously.

"Thanks— _cough_ —you have no idea how long she had me tied up— _cough_." The sickly looking man said as he rubbed his wrists gingerly.

"No problem," Naruto replied easily. "We needed to free you to pass anyways,"

"Yes, well, be that as it may, thanks all the same. My name is Hayate Gekko." Hayate said, offering his hand to Naruto, who took it and gave the man a firm handshake.

"I think we may have a problem." Came Sai's monotone voice from behind them. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"A problem? What could that possibly b—" Naruto froze as he turned to see Anko behind him, holding Sai up by the back of his shirt while the boy hung limply. "Oh."

"Tch, I'm going to say it again; You brats are annoying." She said. A meek Yakumo walked up behind her, and stood to the side awkwardly. "And here I was hoping you guys would fail," Anko muttered. Anko let out an annoyed sigh and dropped Sai on his butt. "I guess I don't have a choice, though. As of this moment, you guys are officially Team 11. In other words; you pass."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, Naruto grinned in excitement. Yakumo smiled softly, while Sai once again wore his creepy fake smile. For once it didn't bother Naruto.

"Yeah, we did it! One step closer to being Hokage!" He cheered. Naruto couldn't help his excitement. He was officially a shinobi! He'd taken the first step on his path to becoming Hokage!

"And just when I was starting to think you weren't such an idiot, you go and prove me wrong by acting like one." Anko muttered. But not even that brought Naruto down. He was too elated from their victory.

"Haha, yeah, says the lady who got her butt handed to her by a few fresh genin," He shot back good naturedly.

Anko huffed with annoyance. "Whatever kid. Just don't go getting too excited. You've got a lot of work before you're anywhere near being Hokage," She said. That sobered Naruto slightly, though it didn't completely kill his good mood. Naruto looked at his sensei with a narrow gaze, but it went ignored. Instead she turned to Hayate, and said, "Well, I gotta get going. You should probably go too, wouldn't want Yugao chewing me out for taking up too much of her boyfriend's time."

Hayate nodded in agreement, and with that, Anko turned and started to walk away. Though she paused at the edge of the tree line. "Oh, and you three, meet me in this training ground at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Your training starts then, and be ready for hell, because I don't pull punches," She said grimly. "Now, I gotta go report your results to the Hokage. Smell ya later." Anko leapt into the tree tops and raced away.

In her wake, Naruto was left slightly stunned and sober from her words. He had thought everything had been going good, but towards the end their things seemed slightly off with their sensei. Did she resent having a team?

Hayate patted him on the shoulder. " _Cough_ —don't take it personally kid. She takes a while to warm up to people." He said encouragingly. Naruto nodded absently, his mind still on his sensei. "Well, like she said, I better be going too, see you around guys, I hope you do well."

With the two jonin gone, the three genin were left alone in the clearing, just as they had been yesterday. There was one difference, though. Even if it was only a little bit, Naruto felt closer to them from their experience in the test.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

 **AN/ So there we have it, the second chapter, and the team test down. Once again, I hope you enjoyed the portrayal of the characters in the chapter. As you can see, there's a bit of tension between Anko and Naruto, and there is a reason behind that. It's going to be used to more deeply explore her character as the story goes on. Speaking of exploring characters, some of you might be wondering about the lack of much screen time for Yakumo or Sai. Well don't worry, the next chapter starts the beginning of an original arc, which will explore Yakumo's character and background more thoroughly. Sai, on the other hand, will be an ongoing project of small reveals here and there.**

 **Now, there's a bit of other news to take care of. As you probably noticed, I didn't update last week. That's because I've come to a bit of a decision. Until further notice, I'm going to change my updating to bi-weekly, so there will be a new chapter every other week. This is because I'm finding it difficult to juggle school work and writing, so this way I can have a bit more cushion room to get things done and maybe get ahead in chapters. This will probably last until the end of the term, but I'll probably pick back up to a weekly update during the Summer, since all I'll have to worry about is maybe a part-time job.**

 **Well, hope you tune in next time for the next chapter.**

 **Next Time: A New Bond is Tested, the Price of a Dream!**

 **So, til Next Time,**

 **RinneTaicho Signing Off!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Naruto: The Death Flash**

 **AN/ Well hello, and welcome to the third chapter of this story. Sorry it's so late. So I'll get in to this real quickly.**

 **This one doesn't have much in the way of physical action, but it's still rather important, as we'll get a hint of a mystery surrounding one of Naruto's teammates.**

 **I don't really have much in the way of information, so on with the story!**

Normal speech: "what"

Extremely loud group/single person shouting: "WHAT!"

Thoughts/Speech taken out of context: _'what'_

Letter/Book/Written text: ' _What'_

Demon/Summon speech: **"what"**

Demon/Summon thoughts: **_'what'_**

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, that honor belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

 **Arc II: Forming Bonds**

 **Chapter 3: Grueling Training, A Mysterious Hospital Visit!**

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

"Come on blondie, get your ass in gear! You've got twenty more laps to go, and if you don't finish soon, so help me, I'll send one of my snakes to bite you in your slow ass!" Anko shouted. Naruto, who was carrying a heavy log on his shoulders while running laps on the stream that ran near their training area, merely grunted.

His breath came in short gasps, and it felt like knives were being driven through his lungs.

Naruto grunted with exertion as he picked up his pace. After a month training under her, he knew his sensei well enough to know she was perfectly happy carrying out her threat.

He'd been at the grueling combination of strength and chakra training for what felt like an hour, and it wasn't anywhere near the first exercise he'd been made to do that day. But that was just part and parcel of Anko's training methods. If you asked him to describe them in one word, it would be hell. The woman seemed to draw a sick pleasure in pushing him and his teammates to their physical, mental, and emotional limits every day. Every single exercise she had them do seemed to require ridiculous amounts of focus and endurance. If you lagged behind somehow, you were likely to have a kunai or shuriken thrown in your direction as encouragement to work harder.

The one who struggled the most was Yakumo, who wasn't that strong to begin with.

As Naruto worked to complete his set of exercises, he could see his teammates doing exercises on their own in the main clearing. Sai was running through an obstacle course while being forced to use his Super Beast Scroll to avoid traps. Poor Yakumo, on the other hand, had to deal with a couple of Anko's clones throwing shuriken at her while she clung to a tree, and tried to cast a genjutsu on them.

Naruto grunted as he completed yet another lap up the stream. He turned right around and went back the way he came. _Fifteen more to go._ His muscles felt like they were on fire, but he had to endure it. He drowned himself in the repetition of the exercise, and before he knew it, his sensei was calling a stop to their training.

"Alright, that's enough you guys. Now gather round." She called. Naruto tossed his burden onto the bank of the stream, to land with a dull _thump_ , and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, it was over. After a second's rest he trotted over to where his sensei and teammates had gathered. Both of them were visibly exhausted, but Yakumo's was the worst for wear. She was kneeling on the ground. Her hair was matted with sweat, and her breath came in rasping gasps. This was nothing new. Often, Yakumo would struggle with the physical exercises, similar to how she did in the Academy.

Their sensei swept her gaze over them appraisingly. "Not too shabby, though you all need to get faster in completing the exercises." Anko commented. She tilted her head back to take a look at the sun, which was hanging low in the sky. "I think that will be all for today. Tomorrow is ninjutsu day, we'll continue to work on mastering your elements. Make sure to get some rest, especially you, Yakumo." She ordered.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "You got it, Anko-sensei," He said. Yakumo and Sai more or less agreed, and Anko grinned.

"Well, then I'm outta' here. There's a plate of dango that has my name on it!" Anko cheered. A second later she vanished in a swirl of leaves.

As soon as their sensei was out of sight, Naruto sagged forward in relief. He sat down and began to remove his training weights. His teammates did the same on either side of him. When they were finally removed, Naruto sighed contentedly.

"Man, that's a relief. These weights are killer." He said. Yakumo nodded in agreement beside him. The three of them sat in silence for a few moments, and soaked in the relief of being finished. After a while though, Naruto glanced up at the sky. It had to be around five in the afternoon. "Hmm, I think I'll dash back home and take a shower," He said musingly. Idly, he pulled his sweat-drenched shirt away from his body. The stickiness was somewhat bothersome. He stood up, and stretched his arms above his head with a groan. Already his muscles were beginning to get stiff from his short time sitting down. "Ugh, I think I'll go out for dinner afterwards." He muttered. "What about you guys, wanna join me for dinner?" Naruto asked.

Sai politely declined. He mentioned something about needing to finish a drawing. Yakumo, though, nodded, and gave him a tired smile. It was still a little unusual seeing her show emotions. "Sure, I'm too tired to cook anyways," She said.

"Cool, do you know where Ichiraku's Ramen is?" He asked. Naruto grinned when she nodded. "Then let's meet there in say, an hour."

"Sounds good." She replied.

It didn't take Naruto very long to get home. Despite how tired he was from the workout; he was still able to make his way back to his home in the Senju Compound rather quickly. The miracles of roof hopping. The Senju Compound was a rather old mansion on the south-west side of the village. It was built when the village was founded, and despite its name, it was really only one building with enough rooms to fit about twelve people, with a few bathrooms, a kitchen, library, and dining and family rooms. There were a few other rooms that were used for storage, but that was it. The rest of the forest surrounded property was walled in, and had a personal training ground and garden within its grounds. It was really only a place for the head of the clan and their family to live.

He showered quickly. The relatively short wash left his skin slightly tingling as he got dressed again. Within twenty minutes he was washed and dressed, and headed to meet Yakumo.

In the time it had taken him to shower, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. The sky was painted with a beautiful conflagration of burnt orange, with a few streaks of reddish-pink where the light reflected off a cloud. It was a little nippy out, but Naruto didn't notice it much as he took his time on the way to Ichiraku's. His mood was slightly dampened when he caught a few drifts of whispered conversation as he passed by two ladies in their twenties.

"That's him, right? He's the one, the son of the Fourth." One of them whispered.

"Yeah, that's him." Her friend replied.

"Still, do you think he can be trusted, I mean he does have the—" The first woman began to say, but she was quickly cut off by her friend.

"Shhhh, you know we're not supposed to talk about that."

The rest of the conversation faded away as they passed out of his range of hearing. Naruto sighed. Even after his heritage became known, many people still didn't trust him. Not even his excellent performance in the Academy won that many over. _It's like no matter what I do, I still have to prove myself._ It was kind of depressing.

Those morbid thoughts were driven from his mind quickly, though, when he caught sight of a familiar stand up ahead. It was a two-story building, made of sturdy wood, with a blue roof on the first story. Stools lined the front, with flaps over the entrance-way that had 'Ichiraku' written on them. The pleasant aroma of rich broth drifted through the air and tantalized his senses.

Unconciously, Naruto picked up his pace. Before he knew it he was at the stand, and he eagerly pushed aside the flap and ducked inside. Behind the counter, Teuchi –an middle aged man with graying hair who wore a chef's hat with a white robe with folded sleeves.

"Well I'll be, if it isn't Naruto. Sure has been a while," He greeted. "There's a young lady here who says she's waiting for someone, I don't suppose that's you?"

Naruto blinked, and his gaze turned to the only other person in the booth. It was Yakumo. She was sitting on one of the bar stools with a glass of water and a menu in front of her. Her training gear had been traded out for a simple sleeve-less white blouse and a moss-green button up skirt.

"Oh, hey, you made it here before me. I hope you haven't been waiting long." He said.

Yakumo shook her head. "No, I've only been here about ten minutes."

From his spot at the counter, Teuchi chuckled. "Well, are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to sit down and order some food?"

Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly, but he took a seat next to Yakumo nonetheless. "Have you two been introduced?" He asked her. When she shook her head no, he grinned, and replied, "Well, then allow me. Teuchi, this here is my teammate Yakumo," he said, as he gestured to the girl next to him.

"Pleased to meet you,"

"And Yakumo, this is old man Teuchi, he runs this place with his daughter Ayame," Naruto paused. For the first time, he noticed that the brunette girl was missing from the booth. He turned to Teuchi with a quizzical expression on his face. "Hey, speaking of Ayame, where is she? She's usually here this time of night."

"Oh, she's in back taking inventory, I'll call her out here so she can take your orders," Teuchi said. He went over and poked his head through a door in the back. "Hey Ayame, take a break from that, we've got customers who need their order taken."

There was a muffled shout from the back, and a few seconds later, a girl in her late teens with dark brown hair and big, dark eyes came out of the back. She wore a white robe with folded sleeves and a blue apron, with a white bandana keeping her hair out of her eyes.

As soon as she saw Naruto her eyes lit up.

"Hey Naruto, it's good to see you," She greeted cheerfully Her eyes then strayed to Yakumo. "Oh, and who is this?" Ayame asked. There was a familiar mischievous glint in her eyes when Yakumo shyly introduced herself.

"Um, I'm Yakumo, Naruto's teammate," She said.

It was all Naruto could do to hold in a groan when he saw the mischievous glint nearly double. He tried to distract himself by taking a sip of water, but that proved to be a mistake. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, although I have to ask, is this a date? Don't tell me you're cheating on Shikako, Naruto!"

Naruto choked on his water. It was all he could do to keep from spitting it all out. He hacked for fifteen seconds, while Yakumo turned beat red at Ayame's words. After a few moments, he was finally able to rasp out a reply. "Sh-shut up, you know it's not a date! We're just relaxing after practice," He protested. Just for good measure he fixed her with a glare, and snapped, "And how many times do I have to tell you Shikako and I aren't dating!"

If she was affected by his glare, Ayame didn't show it. She gave a disbelieving 'Uh-hm', but otherwise didn't acknowledge his reply. Her teasing was nothing new. Naruto had been coming to the shop since before he had learned about his heritage. Teuchi was something like a friendly uncle, often treating him to free meals on his birthday, and Ayame took the role of the teasing elder sister with glee.

"Anyways, how about I take your orders, what'll it be today?"

Although he was tempted to keep up the argument with Ayame, he ultimately decided to let it go. With a sigh and a petulant pout, he said, "I'll have the usual,"

Ayame took out a pad of paper and a pencil from her apron and scribbled something down. "Two bowls of miso ramen with pork fillet, and a large glass of milk," She muttered. When she was done she turned to Yakumo with a kind smile. "And you dear?"

Yakumo stared at her menu for a moment. She bit her lip in concentration. "Hmm, I think I'll have the shoyu beef ramen, and a large glass of water," She said.

"Alright, two miso ramens with pork fillet, one shoyu beef, a large glass of milk, and a large glass of water coming up. I'll have your drinks out in a jiffy."

Ayame bustled off to get their orders, and the two were left alone. For several minutes they sat in a comfortable silence. The only interruption was when Ayame came to give them their drinks. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Yakumo's eyes drooping tiredly. There slight but noticeable bags under her eyes. _She looks exhausted._ It wasn't a big surprise. Yakumo was always tired after their grueling practices. Although, judging by the bags under her eyes, Yakumo was even more tired than he thought. _Still, she pushes herself hard._ Yakumo never complained about the grueling training, and in many ways she seemed just as determined as himself. He had the desire to prove he wasn't just the container of the Nine-Tails, or the son and grandson of a Hokage. So what drove her.

He hadn't really gotten a chance to get to know either of his teammates overly well, and suddenly, he felt the urge to do so. Still, better to approach the question gently.

"Say, Yakumo, we've been teammates for a while, but I don't really know much about you. Why did you decide to become a ninja?" He asked.

Yakumo was silent. She stared into her water with a blank look on her face. Naruto felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It seemed like he hadn't been quite gentle enough. _Idiot_. He was just about to speak up and apologize, when Yakumo spoke in a whisper. It was so quiet he almost didn't hear her.

" . . . I was born with a weak body. I'm sure you noticed, I struggle in the physical aspects of being a ninja," She said. "But still, ever since I was little, all I dreamed about was being a ninja. I wanted to be a proud ninja of the Leaf, like my parents. Everyone said it was impossible, that my body was too weak, that I was unstable. But not my parents. They always supported me, even when I had difficulty controlling my powers."

Naruto found himself drawn in by Yakumo's words. Her description reminded him strikingly of himself.

"Despite all that, I did have one thing going for me. My genjutsu. That's when _she_ came in." The word she was said which such venom, Naruto was taken aback. On the tabletop, Yakumo's hand was clenched so tight her knuckle's were white. "My parents hired a tutor for me in genjutsu. Kurenai Yuhi."

His eyes widened in surprise. Naruto reckognized that name from the day the teams were assigned. "Kurenai Yuhi, as in the sensei of Team 8?" He asked for clarifications sake.

Yakumo nodded sharply. "Yes, her. Like I said, she was supposed to be my tutor, but just like everyone else, she came to believe that my abilities were uncontrollable. Kurenai-sensei went to the Hokage, and she was going to ask for my powers to be sealed. It was only through my father's pleading that he decided to find another way," She explained. "In the end, they learned that the instability was due to a being that was created in my psyche, called Ido. It controlled my powers, and was what made me unstable. With the Hokage's help it was sealed away, and I finally got to live out my dream. That's why I push myself so hard, I _have_ to be successful, to prove to everyone that doubted me that they were wrong!" Yakumo finished with conviction. She looked at him with an intense fire in his eyes that he hadn't seen before.

Naruto licked his suddenly dry lips. He was about to respond to her passionate words, when they were suddenly interrupted by Ayame's cheerful voice.

"Alright, two bowls of miso ramen for Naruto, and a bowl of shoyu beef ramen for the young lady, enjoy." She said as she set their food down in front of them. Her intrusion broke the tension in the air, and both of them turned to their respective bowls.

Ayame looked at them with a narrow gaze for a moment, "Huh, is something wrong? Do you want something else?"

"No, no, this is perfect Ayame, thanks," Naruto recovered quickly. He seized a pair of chopsticks from the cup on the counter and broke them, he quickly dug in to his first bowl of ramen with gusto. Yakumo copied his actions, although at a slower pace.

"Alright, if you're sure," Ayame said. She didn't seem completely convinced, but she left them alone so she could go do her chores around the shop.

Naruto and Yakumo sat and ate their respective meals quietly for a few minutes. It was Naruto that finally broke the silence. He swallowed his current mouthful of noodles, and stared into the broth contemplatively. "Ya know, I totally get where you're coming from about having to prove yourself." He said.

He heard a sharp intake of breath beside him. It wasn't with much surprise that he saw Yakumo looking at him skeptically.

"But, you're the Rookie of the Year, a genius, and your father and grandfather were the Second and Fourth Hokage. What do you have to prove." There was a slight edge to her voice.

Naruto took it in good stride, though, and let loose a mirthless chuckle. "You'd be surprised," He muttered. "People call me a genius now, but it wasn't always that way. Once upon a time, I was just a no name loser, it all changed on the day I awakened my bloodline, I'll never forget it . . ."

And so he began to tell Yakumo about his own past, his struggle to get stronger and his motivation to become Hokage, the pressure to live up to his family name. It felt surprisingly good to get it all off his chest, and before he knew it they were talking more openly. The rest of the meal was spent in pleasant conversation and laughter. Though he did note that Yakumo seemed exhausted the entire time.

Finally, it came to a point where she barely seemed able to sit up straight. There bowls were long since empty, and they had to be on their third or fourth glass of water–milk in his case.

"I think we better get going," He finally said. "Here, I'll help you get home,"

Yakumo tried to protest but it was futile. Her complaints were shed like water off a ducks back. A little ways away from the ramen stand, he asked, "So, which way to your clans compound."

He didn't get a response. "Oh come on, just give it up already, I'm walking you home, and that's that." Naruto grumbled with his nosed turned up stubbornly. Still no response. _Huh?_ That's when he heard it. Simultaneously, he heard a soft _thud_ behind him, and a women's sharp scream split the air.

Naruto spun on his heel, and he froze at the sight before him. It was hard to comprehend. His teammate was curled up on the ground. Her hair was pooled around her head as she shivered. _Wh-what's going on?_ A woman's voice, possibly the one who screamed, snapped him out of his trance.

"Oh my, that girl just collapsed, what's going on?"

His stomach lurched, and instantly he was by her side. "Hey, Yakumo, can you hear me?" Naruto asked. No response. He shook her shoulder gently to try and rouse her, but that didn't do anything either. Now thoroughly worried, Naruto placed his fingers at her neck to check her pulse, and he wasn't encouraged by what he felt. _Her heart is racing. I better get her to a hospital._

It was easy to lift Yakumo into his arms; she didn't way much. Naruto silently thanked his former tutor for drilling the seal-less use of the Teleportation Jutsu into him early on. It made it easier to get his teammate to the hospital. _Hang in there Yakumo, you'll get help soon._

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

His arrival at the hospital was a bit of a blur. After the initial confusion of explaining why he was carrying an unconscious girl, a group had taken Yakumo off his hands and placed her on a gurney before they rushed her off. A single nurse stayed behind. She questioned him about what had happened to Yakumo, so they had as much information as possible.

Afterwards he was left to wait in tense silence in one of the uncomfortable lobby chairs. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. All he was able to do was wonder what was happening with Yakumo. _Hopefully it's just exhaustion_. Still he couldn't quite shake the pit in his stomach that came from not knowing. His wait was long, and tiresome; especially considering the fact he'd gone through a grueling training session earlier. Even _he_ had his limits, and his sensei was somehow able to push them.

Two hours after he'd arrived at the hospital, a young woman with light brown hair in a nurse's robe approached him. There was a pleasant smile on her face that instantly caused his worry to dissolve.

"Hello, you're Miss Kurama's teammate, right?" She asked. Naruto nodded. "Good, my name is Kaori. You're a good teammate for waiting this long."

"I guess," He replied dismissively. "What's the news, is she okay."

Kaori's smile widened slightly. "Yes, she'll be fine. They've just finished their examination, and she's resting, I expect she'll be okay for training tomorrow. Before she went to sleep she asked me to come tell you that it was ok to go home."

Naruto released a tense breath he was even aware he was holding. It was surprisingly good to hear that there was nothing wrong. He idly waved to Kaori, and thanked her for telling him about his teammates condition. Without much reason to stay there any longer, Naruto left the hospital, and began to make his way home.

It was dark out and his path was guided by the lamp posts lining the streets. He couldn't help but ponder on what happened with Yakumo. It was certainly strange, but from the looks of it she was ok. Only time could tell really.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

The next day it was grey and overcast. The air was muggy. It carried a heavy smell of ozone that promised rain. Yakumo was late to arrive for training. When she did, Naruto was surprised that she didn't tell Anko about her trip to the hospital. Instead she gave some flimsy excuse about sleeping in. The excuse went over less than well with their sensei.

Once she was done scolding Yakumo, Anko grunted in annoyance. "Alright, now that Miss Princess has decided to grace us with her presence, I want you to get to work. So warm up, lets go!" She commanded. Then a thoughtful look stole across her face and she grinned sadistically. "Oh yeah, and because one of you was late, you're going to be doing fifty more laps than usual. So lets go, give me one-fifty on the double! And remember, it's obstacle course day, so try and save some energy." Naruto was tempted to argue but there was a certain look in Anko's eyes that screamed 'don't fuck with me'.

With no other options, he went along with the extra laps. Arguing with her would get him nothing besides being sorer at the end of the day. The laps were boring, repetitive training. Naruto soon fell into a mindless state of simply completing the exercise. He tried to talk to Yakumo a few times, to try and figure out how she was doing, but she seemed too distracted with the exercise. Fifty laps in it began to rain. At first just a couple drops, but then it began to come down in thick sheets. The team weathered on, and quickly got through not only the laps, but calisthenics as well.

When it came time to do the obstacle course, the wind had begun to pick up. It increased the velocity of the rain, and caused it to hit them at odd angles like tiny liquid bullets pelting their skin.

The obstacle course was something they ran every other day, and it was constantly shifting. It was a lot different from the courses they faced in the academy. Anko was prone to lay trap seals, and attack at random points. The entire thing was designed to force them to work together and use the things they learned and developed in a mock combat setting. With how miserable the weather was, Naruto expected it would be an even harder time than usual.

Perhaps it was his misgivings about running it in the bad weather, but the obstacle course seemed even more intimidating that day, with its fields of trip wires and partially hidden kunai and shuriken launchers.

"Well get to it, the sooner you finish the sooner we can get out of here." Anko said. Her bangs were plastered to her face by the rain, which had also pulled her straightened out her ponytail and caused it to droop. Naruto and the others nodded in understanding. As they made their way to the first obstacle—a large pond that seemed to be somehow electrified, with only narrow logs floating upright to stand on—Naruto could tell this wasn't going to be fun.

Scratch that, it sucked. The rain and wind made it even harder to run the course. Kunai and shuriken that ended up being launched at them would fly in random patterns, which made it even harder to predict and dodge. Not to mention they would then sometimes fly off and trigger other traps that would make it even more hazardous. At one point Naruto almost fell into a pit of skewers when a log structure he was on suddenly fell apart due to one of it's binding ropes being severed by a stray kunai.

But despite all the adversity, they still managed to make it out in relatively one piece. Soon enough there was only the last obstacle, and all out sprint to the finish line through a field of mud where dozens of Anko's summons lurked underground.

"Yakumo, wide area genjutsu, now. Show us where those snakes are." Naruto ordered as they raced towards the mud field.

"Right." Yakumo formed a quick ram seal. Within seconds a mass of startled hissing field the air. The mud frothed and flew through the air as the snakes began to thrash about in their hiding missing a beat, Naruto began to create bone daggers. He threw them with deadly accuracy anywhere he saw movement. Most of the snakes dispelled instantly, and the ones that survived were quickly taken care of by ink wolves created by Sai.

His muscles burned fiercely, and numerous cuts on his body stung fiercely, but Naruto ignored it all and led his team across the field of mud to the finish line. A sense of elation and relief flooded his veins when they finally crossed it. Finally, the miserable day of training was over.

Their sensei was waiting for them. While they stood before her and caught their breath, she regarded them with a calculative stare. She was at it so long that Naruto almost began to worry they had done something wrong. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

"That was pretty good. Despite the issues the weather, posed, you managed to make it through relatively unscathed, congrats." Anko hummed in thought, as if she was contemplating something. "Alright, I've seen enough. I think you guys are about ready to take on a c-rank mission."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. Had he heard her right, their first c-rank? All his exhaustion was forgotten instantly.

"A c-rank, really? Cool, I can't wait!" He said eagerly. It was easy to see his teammates were just as excited. Well, ok, maybe Sai just looked a bit more interested than usual, but he could definitely see an excited fire in Yakumo's eyes.

For once, Anko didn't comment on his excitability. She gave them a cocky grin. "Yes, a c-rank. We'll take it about a week. Until then, our training schedule will remain the same. Now, get going, I'm sick of this damn rain, and I seriously need to soak in the hot springs."

In the wake of the dismissal the team left the training ground. While Sai went off on his own, Naruto decided to stay behind with Yakumo and go slower. He'd sobered up a bit from his excitement when he'd noticed how tired she seemed. It was a little more noticeable than usual—she almost seemed like she was about to fall asleep while standing. The memory of her collapse the day before was still fresh in his memory, so with that in mind, he decided to fall into step with her and make sure she got home all right.

They were fairly silent throughout their walk. It was only when they were approaching the rough area he knew her clan compound to be in that Naruto decided to ask a question that had been on his mind all day.

"So, what happened with the hospital, what did the doctors say?" He asked.

Yakumo shifted uncomfortably from his question, though she quickly tried to hide it with an upbeat smile. "Oh, it was nothing serious, just a little dehydration. Apparently I didn't drink enough fluids yesterday. They kept me a little later this morning to make sure I was completely ok."

"Oh, good," Naruto wasn't quite sure what to make of her answer. If that was the case, why hadn't she simply told Anko that? It seemed like a silly thing to hide. Although it was possible she just didn't want to seem weak. Still, he had a feeling there was something odd going on.

It was almost as if she sensed his suspicion, because Yakumo suddenly turned to him, and said, "Well, my house is just up ahead, so I'll see you later." She rushed off before he even had a chance to say anything in reply.

Yep something was definitely a bit off.

 **— ₪** **NTDF ₪ —**

 **AN/ So there you have it. What is going on with Yakumo? Only I know, and you'll have to continue reading to find out. Mwahaha!**

 **Not much news, so see ya for now.**

 **Next Time: The First C-Rank, Yakumo Under Suspicion!**

 **Oh dear, that sound's ominous.**

 **Well, til Next Time,**

 **RinneTaicho Signing Off!**


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